Fifteen

The fundamental concept behind Fifteen was one of charitable cause. The concept was to take a series of disenfranchised people from impoverished environments and afford them an opportunity to invest in themselves though the medium of food and cooking, imbuing them with many of the layers that are analysed as being integral to satisfied existences in Maslows hierarchy of needs. The candidates, many of whom were unemployed or on the dole were extracted from their existing settings, and trained to become chefs, educated them over the course of a year, mentored by fantastically skilled and motivating chefs, nurtured but fundamentally given positive opportunity with the potential for a sense of accomplishment, something which most were missing.

The candidates were introduced to teamwork, camaraderie, hard work to create their own futures, a viable business. The programme also sought to act as a mediator to alleviate poverty and create opportunities that otherwise would be virtually obsolete. The programme illustrated detailed accounts of their progression, moments of strength and weakness. One could speculate though and suggest any form of apprenticeship, any form of craft would have displayed similar outcomes but `I beg to differ, food is such an integral and complex part of all our lives whether paid meticulous attention to or not, the cycle from nature to enjoyment.

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